Method and Product for Manufacturing Vulcanized Footwear or Cupsole Footwear

ABSTRACT

A vulc style and cupsole style footwear and a method for manufacturing the footwear are disclosed. The footwear includes a midsole that is directly attached to the upper. The midsole may be attached to the outsole by adhesive. In the method of manufacturing the footwear, the upper and an outsole are disposed a set distance apart. Polyurethane or other material for providing cushioning to the footwear is either injected between the upper and outsole or poured onto the outsole and the upper is traversed over the outsole so as to define the mold for defining the midsole. The polyurethane is directly attached to the upper and adhered to the outsole/cupsole.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to a method and product for manufacturingvulcanized style footwear or cupsole style footwear.

FIG. 1 illustrates a flow chart for manufacturing a traditional vulcstyle footwear. Initially, the outsoles and midsoles of the footwear areformed separately in two different molds and possibly at two differentlocations or two different areas within a production plant. After theoutsoles and midsoles are formed, they are brought together andassembled by disposing the midsole on the outsole. A lasted upper isdisposed on the assembled outsole/midsole. Also, an uncured foxing iswrapped about the upper and the outsole by hand. Adhesive is applied onthe interconnecting surfaces so that upon application of heat andpressure, the foxing attaches the upper to the outsole. The foxing isthe member that joins the upper to the outsole. The foxing is vulcanizedto the upper and the outsole to hold the shoe together. The primarypurpose of the midsole is to provide cushioning and does not providesignificant structural attachment between the upper and the outsole.This process is a hand intensive process, requires multiple steps andthe transportation of the outsole and midsole over great distances whensetting up a manufacturing plant to do high volume production offootwear.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a flow chart for forming a cupsole stylefootwear is shown. In particular, the cupsole and the midsoles areformed separately. After the cupsoles and midsoles are formed, they arebrought together and attached to each other. A lasted upper is placed(i.e., matched) on the midsole so that a cement line may be drawn on theupper. The area below the cement line is where adhesive or cement isplaced on the upper to adhere the lip of the cupsole to the upper. Afterthe cement line is drawn, the upper is removed from the cupsole. Cementis applied to the upper below the cement line. The lasted upper is thenrematched onto the cupsole. Pressure and heat are applied until thecupsole is cured and attached to the upper so as to produce the shoe.Once again, the midsole does not structurally attach the upper to thecupsole or hold the shoe together.

Other methods of fabricating the midsole are also known in the priorart. By way of example and not limitation, the midsole may be injectionmolded into the cupsole or between the lasted upper and the outsole.Unfortunately, the injection molded midsole may include ratholes or gapsbetween various components of the foxing, cupsole, outsole and upper.These gaps cause structural delamination of the various components ofthe shoe and also hinders force transfer between the foot and theoutsole which may be crucial in various technical sports requiringtactile foot skill. Additionally, when the midsole is injection moldedinto the shoe, the midsole does not structurally attach the upper to theoutsole or cupsole.

Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved vulc style shoeand cupsole style shoe as well as a method for manufacturing such shoes.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The product and method described herein address the needs discussedabove, discussed below and those that are known in the art.

The footwear described herein has a midsole that is directly attached toan upper of the footwear. By way of example and not limitation, themidsole may be fused with or permeate a thin fabric material at a bottomof the upper. Moreover, the midsole may be substantially continuouslyattached to the bottom surface of the upper so that no gaps or rat holesare formed between the upper and the midsole. This provides for betteranatomical fit and support, better force transfer from the foot to theoutsole or cupsole of the footwear and a longer lasting sturdierfootwear construction. The midsole may be adhered or otherwise attachedto the outsole or cupsole.

Direct attachment of the midsole to the upper of the footwear alsoreduces manufacturing costs. In particular, the midsole providesstructural stability to the shoe. The midsole joins the upper to theoutsole or cupsole. In the process of manufacturing the midsole directlyattached to the upper, an outsole or cupsole may be placed in a fixture.Adhesive may be lined on the exposed surface of the outsole or cupsolewhere the midsole is formed. Polyurethane may be disposed (e.g., pouredor injected) on the outsole. As the polyurethane expands, thepolyurethane is adhered to the outsole by way of adhesive. Thepolyurethane is directly bonded to the upper.

This process may be utilized both for vulc style footwear as well ascupsole style footwear. Additionally, the footwear may be formed by wayof pouring polyurethane onto the outsole or cupsole or injectingpolyurethane between the upper and the outsole/cupsole defining the moldof the midsole.

More particularly, a footwear is disclosed. The footwear may comprise anupper, a midsole and an outsole. The upper may define a bottom surfaceand an exterior shell. The midsole may be bonded to the bottom surfaceof the upper and a bottom peripheral portion of the exterior shell. Themidsole may define a bottom surface. The outsole may be attached (e.g.,adhered, interlocked, etc.) to the bottom surface of the midsole.

The midsole and the outsole may both be polyurethane. The polyurethaneof the midsole may have a lower density compared to the polyurethane ofthe outsole so that the midsole provides cushioning and the outsoleprovide wear resistance. Also, foxing which provides wear resistance maybe attached to the outer periphery of the outsole and the midsole.

The outsole may have a cupsole configuration. The midsole may be adheredto the interior surface of the cupsole and a lip of the cupsole may beadhered to the bottom peripheral portion of the upper.

A method of manufacturing footwear is also disclosed. The method maycomprise the steps of disposing an outsole or cupsole on a first platewherein the outsole defines a top surface; disposing a lasted upper in asecond plate wherein the second plate is traverseable to a firstposition with respect to the first plate; disposing settable liquid onthe top surface of the outsole; traversing the second plate to the firstposition with respect to the first plate so that a bottom surface of thelasted upper is adjacent to the settable liquid on an opposite side fromthe outsole, the top surface of the outsole and the bottom surface ofthe upper defines a mold for forming a midsole from the settable liquid;and curing the settable liquid to a solid state to bond the midsole tothe bottom surface of the upper.

The method may further comprise the step of applying an adhesive to theupper surface of the outsole to adhere the midsole to the outsole.

The second plate discussed in relation to the method may also includefirst and second parts that clamp around the lasted upper when the firstand second parts are in a closed position. In this regard, the methodmay further comprise the steps of first applying adhesive to a lip ofthe cupsole, second traversing the second plate to the first position sothat the lip of the cupsole is positioned between the upper and thefirst and second parts, and third traversing the first and second partsto the closed position to apply pressure on the lip of the cupsole tothe upper. The method may also further comprise the step of activatingthe applied adhesive with light or heat. The traversing step may includethe step of rotating the first and second plates with respect to eachother about a common pivot axis.

Another method of manufacturing footwear is also disclosed. The methodmay comprise the steps of disposing an outsole on a first plate whereinthe outsole defines a top surface; disposing a lasted upper in a secondplate wherein the second plate is traverseable to a first position withrespect to the first plate; traversing the second plate to the firstposition with respect to the first plate so that a bottom surface of thelasted upper is adjacent the outsole so as to define a mold for amidsole; injecting settable liquid between the bottom surface of thelasted upper and the outsole; curing the settable liquid to a solidstate to form the midsole; and attaching the settable liquid to theupper and the outsole.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features and advantages of the various embodimentsdisclosed herein will be better understood with respect to the followingdescription and drawings, in which like numbers refer to like partsthroughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a prior art process for manufacturing a vulcstyle shoe;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of a prior art method for manufacturing a cupsoleshoe;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a lasted upper;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a fixture (e.g., PU or polyurethanemold) for receiving the lasted upper;

FIG. 4A is an illustration of an injection molding process formanufacturing a vulc style shoe;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the fixture shown in FIG. 7 with thelasted upper received into the fixture;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a footwear with a last disposed therein;

FIG. 6A is a cross sectional view of the footwear shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 7 illustrates foxing being wrapped around the footwear shown inFIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a fixture for fabricating a cupsoleshoe;

FIG. 8A is a perspective view of a pre-cured foxing being preattached toan outsole to form an outsole with a cavity;

FIG. 9 illustrates a process of activating an adhesive by flash andpouring polyurethane into the cupsole;

FIG. 10 illustrates the fixture and closing of the top plate to applypressure to an outer periphery of the footwear;

FIG. 11 is a cross sectional view of the fixture and footwear shown inFIG. 11 showing the application of pressure to a lip of the cupsole;

FIG. 12 is an illustration of an injection molding process formanufacturing a cupsole shoe;

FIG. 13 illustrates apertures in an outsole and cupsole for purposes offlowing polyurethane through the outsole and cupsole for decorative aswell as process purposes;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a fixture for providing aninterchangeable back mold during manufacturing of a vulc style footwear;and

FIG. 15 is an illustration of a fixture having an interchangeable backmold during manufacturing of a cupsole footwear.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 11, a midsole 10 of a shoe 12 is directlyattached to an upper 14. The direct attachment of the midsole 10 to theupper 14 provides for a sturdier shoe 12 having a better anatomical fitwith the foot of the wearer for increased comfort and better lateralforce support for specialized uses such as skateboarding. Negligible orno gaps (e.g., rat holes) are formed between the midsole 10 and theupper 14. Rather, the entire interface between the midsole 10 and theupper 14 is substantially if not entirely bonded to each other. Sincethe midsole 10 is bonded substantially or entirely to the bottom surfaceof the upper 14, lateral forces generated during performance ofskateboard tricks are better able and more quickly transmitted to theboard from the wearer's foot. Additionally, over a period of time, thesubstantial nonexistence of rat holes or gaps between the midsole 10 andthe upper 14 mitigates delamination of the upper 14 from the midsole 10and the outsole. These attributes provide for better lateral forcesupport, increased comfort due to a better anatomical fit and sturdierlong lasting footwear construction.

Moreover, the process of directly attaching the midsole 10 to the upper14 reduces the hand assembly time and cost required to manufacture theshoe 12. In the process, a lasted upper 16 may be secured to a top plate18 of a footwear fixture 20, as shown in FIG. 4. A predeterminedquantity of polyurethane or other material may be poured (see FIG. 9) orinjected into a bottom plate 22 of the footwear fixture 20. Thepolyurethane may be a low density polyurethane to provide forcushioning. Once a predetermined quantity of polyurethane is disposed inthe bottom plate 22, the top plate 18 may be rotated about pivot axis 24(see FIG. 4) so that the bottom surface 26 of the lasted upper 16 is nowdisposed above the polyurethane in the bottom plate 22 (see FIG. 4). Thepolyurethane may expand and contact the bottom surface 26 of the lastedupper 16. Upon curing of the polyurethane, the cured polyurethane whichis now the midsole 10 of the footwear 12 is directly attached or bondedto the bottom surface 26 of the lasted upper 16 (see FIG. 6A), thepolyurethane is fused into or permeated through the bottom surface 26 ofthe lasted upper 16. Hand assembly and thus cost is reduced compared toprior art methods. Also, quality is increased since this method reducesgaps.

The footwear described herein is in relation to a vulc style footwearand a cupsole style footwear. However, the various aspects of thefootwear and methodology of manufacturing the footwear may be applied oremployed to other types of footwear such as boots, slip-ons, sportsshoes (e.g., football shoes, wrestling shoes, etc.). As such, thediscussion of the footwear and methodology in relation to vulc stylefootwear and cupsole style footwear are for the purposes of convenienceand not limitation. Additionally, the footwear and methodology describedherein utilizes an outsole or cupsole for providing wear resistance withthe ground. However, in certain shoes, the outsole may be eliminated.

More particularly, referring now to FIG. 3, a lasted upper 16 is shown.The lasted upper 16 refers to an upper 14 of the footwear 12 with a last28 inserted into the upper 14. The upper 14 has an exterior shell 30(see FIG. 3) which secures the foot of the wearer to the footwear 12.The upper 14 additionally has a thin fabric material 32 that extendsacross and is attached to the bottom peripheral edge 34 of the exteriorshell 30 (see also FIG. 4). The polyurethane is fused into or permeatesthe thin fabric material 32. When the last 28 is inserted into the upper14, the upper 14 is snuggly fitted against the last 28 so as to conformto the shape of the last 28. The last 28 may additionally have a rig 36(see FIG. 3). The rig 36 has a plate 38 attached to a post 40. The plate38 is at a predetermined distance from the thin fabric material 32 ofthe upper 14 so that the thin fabric material 32 defines a surface ofthe mold forming the shape of the midsole 10 or the polyurethane, aswill be discussed further below.

Once the upper 14 is lasted, the lasted upper 16 is secured to the topplate 18, as shown in FIG. 4. In particular, the top plate 18 may havefirst and second parts 42, 44. The first and second parts 42, 44 may bepivoted about a pivot axis 46 to open the top plate 18 as shown in FIG.4 or to close the top plate 18 as shown in FIG. 5. Referring back toFIG. 4, the first and second parts 42, 44 define an inner periphery 48which matches the outer periphery 50 of the lasted upper 16.Additionally, the first part 42 may optionally have a sleeve 52 with aslot 54 sized and configured to receive the plate 38 and the post 40 ofthe lasted upper 16. When the plate 38 of the lasted upper 16 isinserted into the sleeve 52, the post 40 is received into the slot 54.Also, the outer periphery 50 of the lasted upper 16 is snuggly receivedagainst the inner periphery 48 of the first part 42. Once the lastedupper 16 is in position, the second part 44 may be rotated to the closedposition as shown in FIG. 5 and locked by lock 56.

An outsole 58 (see FIG. 5) may be disposed in the cavity 60 of thebottom plate 22 or may be formed in the cavity 60. There are at leasttwo different methods of disposing an outsole 58 on the bottom plate 22.By way of example and not limitation, an outsole 58 may be separatelyformed in a different mold. A plurality of outsoles 58 may be providedin a bin or other container to be used in the process described herein.Alternatively, the outsole 58 may be formed in place in the cavity 60 ofthe bottom plate 22. In particular, high density polyurethane may bepoured into the cavity 60. Prior to setting of the polyurethane, a midplate 62 may be rotated about axis 64 over the bottom plate 22. The midplate 62 together with the bottom plate 22 defines the mold that formsthe outsole 58. An injection molding process may also be utilized toform the outsole 58 in place on the bottom plate 22. In particular, themid plate 62 may be rotated about axis 64 so as to be disposed on top ofthe bottom plate 22. High density polyurethane may be injected into thecavity 60 defined by the mid plate 62 and the bottom plate 22 throughinjection port 66. After the polyurethane is injected and cured, the midplate 62 is rotated off of the bottom plate 22 thereby leaving theoutsole 58 in the cavity 60 of the bottom plate 22. The polyurethane ofthe outsole is typically high density polyurethane for the purpose ofproviding wear resistance to the footwear.

After forming or disposing the outsole 58 in the cavity 60 of the bottomplate 22, a low density polyurethane for the purposes of providingcushioning to the footwear 12 may be poured onto the outsole 58. Priorto setting or curing of the polyurethane, the top plate 18 with thelasted upper 16 secured thereto is rotated about pivot axis 24 so thatthe bottom surface 26 of the lasted upper 16 is now above the curingpolyurethane. The outsole 58, the bottom surface 26 of the lasted upper16 and the walls 68 of the cavity 60 define the mold that forms thecontour of the midsole 10. Prior to pouring of the polyurethane, anactivatable adhesive may be applied (e.g., brushed, sprayed, etc.) tothe exposed surface 59 (see FIG. 5) of the outsole 58. When thepolyurethane is ready for pouring, the adhesive may be activated (e.g.,flash, heat or the like). If the polyurethane is poured immediatelyafter application of the adhesive, then an activatable adhesive is notrequired. Rather, a polyurethane reactive adhesive (PUR) is applied anda polyurethane is immediately poured over the outsole 58 onto theadhesive. Once the polyurethane is cured, the adhesive or PUR securesthe cured polyurethane/midsole 10 to the outsole 58. The polyurethane ormidsole 10 is bonded (e.g., permeated with or fused with) to the thinfabric material 32 of the upper 14 as well as a bottom peripheral edgeportion 70 of the upper 14 as shown in FIG. 6A. The polyurethane ormidsole 10 expands as it is cured and eventually fills the entire cavityand expands up alongside the bottom peripheral edge portion 70 of theupper 14 and is secured thereto. The footwear 12 may be removed from thefootwear fixture 20 as shown in FIG. 6 which is ready to use. Externalembellishments may be added to the footwear 12 such as a foxing 72, asshown in FIG. 7. The foxing 72 may be pre-cured and adhered to theoutsole 58 and the midsole 10. The foxing 72 may be wrapped around theentire footwear 12. Alternatively, the foxing 72 may be adhered to onlythe toe portion 74 of the footwear 12. In skateboarding, the toe portion74 of the footwear 12 is utilized to manipulate the skateboard. Thefoxing 72 provides for extra wear pads to extend the life of thefootwear 12.

Alternatively, after forming or disposing the outsole 58 in the cavity60 of the bottom plate 22, a low density polyurethane may be injectionmolded to form the midsole 10, as shown in FIG. 4A. Prior to injectionof the polyurethane, the lasted upper 16 is positioned above the outsole58 and the bottom plate 23. The top plate 19 a, b may be closed upon thelasted upper 16 so that the outsole 58, top plate 19 a, b and the bottomsurface 26 of the lasted upper 16 defines the mold for the midsole 10.Prior to movement of the lasted upper 16 and the top plate 19 a, b, anactivatable adhesive may be applied to the exposed surface of theoutsole 58 which adheres the outsole 58 to the midsole 10. If thepolyurethane is injected within a short period of time after applicationof the adhesive, then the adhesive does not need to be an activatableadhesive. Rather, the adhesive may be PUR. If a substantial amount oftime is elapsed after application of the adhesive onto the outsole 58,then the adhesive should be an activatable adhesive. One that isactivatable by heat or light. If the adhesive is an activatableadhesive, then prior to closing the top plate 18 above the outsole 58,the activatable adhesive is activated. The top plate 18 is closed on topof the outsole 58. Low density polyurethane is injected into the spacebetween the bottom surface 26 of the lasted upper 16 and the outsole 58by way of injection port 66. The polyurethane expands into the space andany air is out gassed through the thin fabric material 32. Thepolyurethane is directly attached (e.g., fused with the material 32 orpermeated within the material 32) to the upper 14. Also, thepolyurethane or midsole 10 is adhered to the outsole 58.

The activatable adhesive or PUR applied to the outsole 58 may cover theentire exposed surface of the outsole 58 or something less than theentire exposed surface of the outsole 58. By way of example and notlimitation, the outer peripheral portion of the exposed surface of theoutsole may be covered with adhesive or PUR for providing a peripheralseal between the midsole 10 and the outsole 58. Other patterns ofadhesive or PUR coverage are also contemplated such as front/back, sideto side, dotted, etc.

Referring now to FIG. 8, a fixture 20 a for manufacturing a cupsolefootwear is shown. The fixture 20 a may include a top plate 18 a forpositioning a lasted upper 16 a and a bottom plate 22 a. The top plate18 a may be rotated about axis 24 a so that the top and bottom plates18, 22 may be disposed one on top of the other. The bottom plate 22 amay include a cavity 60 a sized and configured to receive a cupsole 76.Similar to the prior embodiment, the lasted upper 16 a may be mounted tothe top plate 18 a. Optionally, by way of example and not limitation,the plate 38 a of the lasted upper 16 may be inserted into the sleeve 52as shown in FIG. 8. Once the lasted upper 16 a is in position withrespect to the first part 42 a, the second part 44 a is not yettraversed to the closed position. The cupsole 76 is disposed within thecavity 60 a, as shown in FIG. 9. Prior to pouring polyurethane into thecupsole 76, PUR or an activatable adhesive may be applied to theinterior surface 78 of the cupsole 76, as shown in FIG. 8. The adhesivemay be activated, polyurethane poured into the cupsole 76 (see FIG. 9)then the top plate 18 a rotated about axis 24 a onto the bottom part 22a, as shown in FIG. 10. If the polyurethane is poured immediately afterapplication of the adhesive, then the adhesive does not need to be anactivatable adhesive. Rather, PUR is applied to the interior surface 78of the cupsole 76. The polyurethane is then immediately poured onto thePUR. After the top and bottom plates 18 a, 22 a are disposed on top ofeach other, the second part 44 a is now traversed to the closed positionand locked, as shown in FIG. 10. When the second part 44 a is traversedto the closed position, the inner periphery 48 a of the first and secondparts 42 a, 44 a pushes against a lip 80 (see FIG. 11) of the cupsole 76so that the adhesive may bond the lip 80 of the cupsole 76 to the bottomperipheral edge portions 70 a of the upper 14. The polyurethane expandsin the space between the cupsole 76 and the bottom surface 26 of thelasted upper 16. The gas between the surface 26 and the cupsole 76 maybe gassed out of the thin fabric material 32 and the polyurethane fillsthe entire cavity 60 so that there are negligible or no rat holes orgaps therebetween.

Referring back to FIG. 8A, the cupsole 76 may also be fabricated in atwo part form. In particular, the outsole 58 a may be attached to apre-cured foxing 72 a prior to insertion in the bottom plate 22 a.Additionally, the adhesive may be applied to an area less than theentire interior surface of the cupsole 76. Importantly, the adhesive orbonding agent should cover the interior surface of the lip 80 and thecupsole 76. The adhesive may cover more than the lip 80 of the cupsole76 such as a peripheral portion, front to back, side to side, dotted,etc.

Referring now to FIG. 12, an injection molding fixture for a cupsole isshown. In particular, the cupsole 76 b may have a notch 82. When thecupsole 76 b is inserted into the cavity 60 b, the notch 82 is alignedto an injection port 84 through which polyurethane may be injected intoor on the cupsole 76 b at a later time.

An activatable adhesive may be applied (e.g., sprayed, brushed, etc.) tothe interior surface 78 b of the cupsole 76 b. With the cupsole 76 bdisposed on the bottom plate 22 b, the adhesive may be activated (e.g.,flash activated or heat activated). After activation, the lasted upper16 may be brought down over the cupsole 76 b so that the bottom surface26 b of the lasted upper 16 b and the cupsole 76 b define a mold for themidsole 10. Thereafter, the first and second parts 42 b, 44 b may betraversed to the closed position so that the first and second parts 42b, 44 b may press against the lip 80 b of the cupsole 76 b onto thebottom peripheral edge portion 70 b of the lasted upper 16 b, asdescribed in relation to FIG. 11. Polyurethane is now injected into theinjection port 84 to fill the cavity defined by the cupsole 76 b and thebottom surface 26 b of the lasted upper 16 b. The polyurethane may beallowed to expand into the cavity 60. Any gas is out gassed through thethin fabric material 32 of the lasted upper 16 b. The polyurethane isnow attached (e.g., fused or permeated with the material 32) to theupper 14. The notch 82 may be plugged with a filler 96 by way of a postproduction process.

Referring now to FIG. 13, a bottom plate 22 is shown. The top plate 18,lasted upper 16 as well as other parts of the fixture 20 are not shownfor the purposes of clarity. In manufacturing or building the vulc stylefootwear or the cupsole footwear, the outsole 58 or the cupsole 76 mayhave one or more apertures 90. The apertures 90 allow the polyurethaneforming the midsole 10 to fill the aperture 90 in the cupsole 76 or theoutsole 58. The polyurethane may be visible during normal use. Theoutsole and cupsole 76 with apertures 90 may be used in both the pouringmethod or the injection molding method described herein. Furthermore,the apertures 90 may provide for spewing of the polyurethane forming themidsole 10. By way of example and not limitation, the bottom plate 22 orthe top plate 18 when appropriate may have recesses aligned to theapertures 90. The polyurethane forming the midsole 10 is expandable. Thepolyurethane may expand different amounts even though a regulated orpredetermined amount of polyurethane is injected or poured. The excessamount of polyurethane may spew out of the apertures 90. The spewed outportion of the polyurethane may be cut off or finished as apost-production process.

Referring now to FIGS. 14 and 15, a replaceable back mold 92, 94 isshown. The replaceable back mold 92, 94 may be inserted into a slot 96formed in the bottom plate 22. The mold surface 98 of the replaceableback molds 92, 94 may have any configuration or aesthetic pattern.During manufacturing of multiple styles of footwear, the back molds 92,94 may be interchanged as desired to match the style of footwear beingmanufactured.

In manufacturing the vulc style footwear or cupsole style footwear, lowdensity polyurethane may be attached or bonded to the bottom of theupper. In this process, the low density polyurethane expands andcontacts the bottom of the lasted upper. The polyurethane conforms tothe contour of the polyurethane so that a different fixture is notrequired for each different last. Generally, as long as the top gage 88of the upper 14 remains the same, the same fixture may be used for lastshaving a different bottom surface since the midsole 10 conforms to thecontour of the bottom of the last 28.

The footwear and methodology described herein was described in relationto polyurethane material, both high density for wear resistance or lowresistance for cushioning purposes. It is also contemplated that othermaterials may be utilized in the method and the footwear such as anythermoset material (e.g., blown rubber, rubber, etc.) or thermoplastic(TPR, TPU, etc.). Also, various blends of polyurethane may be utilized.Additionally, the fixture 20 is shown as a hand operated fixture.However, other automatic and mechanical fixtures are also contemplated.The first and second parts 42, 44 of the top plate 18 do not necessarilyneed to rotate about pivot axis 46. Rather, the first and second parts42, 44 may be hydraulically operated to come together or spread apart inautomated machinery. Furthermore, the top plate 18, bottom plate 22 andthe mid plate 62 may all work together in an automated machineryenvironment.

The above description is given by way of example, and not limitation.Given the above disclosure, one skilled in the art could devisevariations that are within the scope and spirit of the inventiondisclosed herein, including various other types of fixtures. Further,the various features of the embodiments disclosed herein can be usedalone, or in varying combinations with each other and are not intendedto be limited to the specific combination described herein. Thus, thescope of the claims is not to be limited by the illustrated embodiments.

1. A footwear comprising: an upper defining a bottom surface and anexterior shell; a midsole fused to the bottom surface of the upper, themidsole defining a bottom surface; and an outsole attached to the bottomsurface of the midsole.
 2. The footwear of claim 1 wherein the outsoleis adhered to the bottom surface of the midsole.
 3. The footwear ofclaim 1 wherein the exterior shell defines a bottom peripheral portionand the midsole is bonded to the bottom peripheral portion of theexterior shell.
 4. The footwear of claim 1 wherein the midsole and theoutsole are both polyurethane and the polyurethane of the midsole has alower density compared to the polyurethane of the outsole so that themidsole provides cushioning and the outsole provide wear resistance. 5.The footwear of claim 1 wherein the outsole is a cupsole with themidsole adhered to the interior surface of the cupsole and a lip of thecupsole adhered to a bottom peripheral portion of the upper.
 6. Thefootwear of claim 1 further comprising a foxing attached to the outerperiphery of the outsole, and the midsole is adhered to the innersurface of the foxing and an upper surface of the outsole.
 7. Thefootwear of claim 1 wherein the midsole is bonded to the entire bottomsurface of the upper to facilitate force transfer between a wearer'sfoot and outsole.
 8. A method of manufacturing footwear, the methodcomprising the steps of: disposing an outsole on a first plate, theoutsole defining a top surface; disposing a upper in a second platewherein the second plate is traverseable to a first position withrespect to the first plate; disposing settable liquid on the top surfaceof the outsole; traversing the second plate to the first position withrespect to the first plate so that a bottom surface of the upper isadjacent to the settable liquid on an opposite side from the outsole,the top surface of the outsole and the bottom surface of the upperdefines a mold for forming a midsole from the settable liquid; curingthe settable liquid to a solid state to bond the midsole to the bottomsurface of the upper.
 9. The method of claim 8 further comprising thestep of applying an adhesive to the upper surface of the outsole toadhere the midsole to the outsole.
 10. The method of claim 8 wherein thedisposing an outsole on the first plate includes disposing a cupsole onthe first plate.
 11. The method of claim 10 wherein the second plateincludes first and second parts that clamp around the lasted upper whenthe first and second parts are in a closed position, and the methodfurther comprises the step of first applying adhesive to a lip of thecupsole, second traversing the second plate to the first position sothat the lip of the cupsole is positioned between the upper and thefirst and second parts, and third traversing the first and second partsto the closed position to apply pressure on the lip of the cupsole tothe upper.
 12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step ofactivating the applied adhesive.
 13. The method of claim 12 wherein theactivating step comprises the step of activating the applied adhesivewith light or heat.
 14. The method of claim 8 wherein the traversingstep includes the step of rotating the first and second plates withrespect to each other about a common pivot axis.
 15. The method of claim7 further comprising the step of lasting the upper and disposing thelasted upper in the second plate.
 16. A method of manufacturingfootwear, the method comprising the steps of: disposing an outsole on afirst plate, the outsole defining a top surface; disposing a lastedupper in a second plate wherein the second plate is traverseable to afirst position with respect to the first plate; traversing the secondplate to the first position with respect to the first plate so that abottom surface of the lasted upper is adjacent the outsole so as todefine a mold for a midsole; injecting settable liquid between thebottom surface of the lasted upper and the outsole; curing the settableliquid to a solid state to form the midsole; attaching the settableliquid to the upper and the outsole.